At the roof of Panama

The Chiriqui province, in the Pacific slope of western Panama, offers the most accessible sites to birdwatch the Talamanca highlands and all its array of endemic species, and thus, is a popular destination for national and international organized birding tours.  However, few people ventures to its highest peak, the Baru volcano, with its 3.475 meters above sea level, in order to find the specialties restricted to the highest slopes. 

Paramo near the summit of Baru volcano

The high elevation vegetation and the paramo at the summit of the volcano are unique in Panama, and is protected by the Volcan Barú National Park.  Other similar habitats are essentially unaccessible in our country.  The seriously deteriorated, pot-holed and irregular road to the summit start at the charming town of Boquete, but only highly modified vehicles  can make it to the top... it is a bumpy ride, but is better than walk the 14 km-long road to the top (if you start at the rangers station).  But apart of witnessing awesome landscapes and to experience the sight of both the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean from the top, why else do you want to climb that high?  For the birds of course!  Some exciting findings at the upper slopes of the volcano came to light in the last months by the growing community of Boquete birders, including Rafael Velasquez and Jason Lara. That's why we contacted them to arrange a trip up there some weeks ago... and by "we" I mean Osvaldo Quintero, Rafael Luck, Euclides "Kilo" Campos, Darién Montañez and your host of course.

male Volcano -Heliotrope-throated- Hummingbird

We left Boquete aboard two huge trucks and started the ride around 2:00 pm.  I can swear that it felt like the vehicle was climbing a ladder!  Our first birding stop on route was at the crater known as Potrero Mulato, just above the 3.000 meters.  The birds up there where distinctively different to those found in lower slopes: Large-footed Finch, Sooty-capped Chlorospingus, Black-capped Flycatcher, Fiery-throated  and, aptly named, Volcano Hummingbirds started to be common sights... even a Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl responded to our tapes in the distance; however, these were not the birds we were looking for... so we kept climbing.

Black-capped Flycatcher

Eventually we reached Los Fogones campsite, at 3.260 meters. The vegetation looked pretty much like the paramo in the first photo, but with taller trees.  It was Volcano Hummingbirds' heaven... we even found a female on a nest. and several males displaying.  We fail to locate one of our "secondary" targets: Volcano Junco.  Although disappointed, it did not hurt as much because the species would not be lifer for me.  More than ten years ago, I climbed the volcano with a group of friends following the path in the opposite side of the mountain.  It was strenuous, rained all day and we almost froze at night while camping near the summit... but in the bright side, a flock of Volcano Juncos (and some Sooty Thrushes) decided to feed mere six feet from me while I was still trying to warm myself in front of an improvised campfire with the first rays of the sun.  I was alone in the campsite... and I clearly remember that while I was seeing the juncos, the phrase "with birds I'll share this lonely view" rumbled in my head... mountain sickness?  Hypothermia?  Who knows... I just remember the birds in the paramo.  In conclusion: not, it would not be a lifer for me.  But the bird that Jason was attracting with a recorded tape would... soon, a Timberline Wren started to sing around us, keeping low in the bushes and allowing some nice, but short glimpses.

Timberline Wren

What a bird!  Beautiful, smart, sonorous, range and habitat restricted... and a lifer!  So far so good!  However, it was not our main target (believe it or not).  Near sunset, we reached the summit of the sleeping volcano.  We like to think in Panama that our highest peak is extinct; but is not, although it last eruption was in the 16th century and the lava flow and debris avalanche reached as far as the Pacific Ocean (ten times the area covered by the Mount St. Helens debris avalanche in 1980!).  Back then, the lateral eruption melted the perpetual snows that covered the summit, collapsing it.  Now there is no snow left... but for this sun-lover of Panama City, the 8º Celsius temperature up there was freezing cold!

Sunset at the summit of Baru volcano

Well, the Rufous-collared Sparrows and the Sooty Thrushes seemed well adapted to the dropping temperatures at the summit.  In fact, both species were quite common and active... I just was thinking on keep warm.  The birds even were actively feeding at dark after sunset... those small silhouettes in the dark hoping around felt weird.

Sooty Thrush

We took dinner after sunset and started to descend in complete darkness.  The skills of our drivers were impressive... dodging huge boulders and tilting the car almost 45 degrees from side to side to fit into narrow corridors... it was scary and exciting at the same time.  Around 3.130 meters, Raul made us to stop in the road.  It was about 7:20 pm and completely dark due to the waning crescent moon... but the clear skies let us watch the stars, a rare sight up there.  He carefully chose a patch of forest with open windows (areas free of foliage) hoping to attract our main target into to one of them in order to have unobstructive views.    We took our positions behind Raul, with spotlights and cameras ready... he then played the tape at full volume once... a response was heard almost immediately!  He then played the tape at very low volume and waited... an UNSPOTTED SAW-WHET OWL started to call very close to us!

Unspotted Saw-whet Owl

We realized that the bird was below eye-level... but it quickly flew to a higher perch (right to one of those "windows") where we managed to spotlight it... and I was able to take the photos of this post.  What a sublime experience! That is a species considered extremely rare... probably it just passed unnoticed all this time due to its high elevation habitat... thanks to the fluorishing community of Boquete birders now we know a little bit more about this rare owl. The first photos from Panama were taken just this year by Raul and Miguel Siu, and the bird was re-discovered just three years ago when Jason Fidorra and Lena Ware managed to record and see a bird close to Los Fogones campsite.

Unspotted Saw-whet Owl

At the end, we heard at least three different individuals.  There were lots of high-fives and hurrays! Mission accomplished!  A little after the birds left the site, it began to rain, and we continued our descent to Boquete, where we celebrated with a round of cold beers.  Those were many emotions for a single day ... and the owl's calls were still in my head at bedtime... but I still had one day left in Boquete and did not think about wasting it... so I fell asleep to recharge batteries with the vivid memory of the rarest and cutest owl without spots!  Tomorrow would be another day... and other story, so stay tuned!

Swifts tale

Last month, a series of intriguing and exciting news came from the western highlands of Panama.  The discovery of several Cypseloides swifts nesting behind waterfalls was shocking.  Why?  For background, Cypseloides is a genus of uniformly dark and little known swifts, specially in the neotropics.  In Panama, only two species were known... one is extremely rare.  The other one, known only by two specimens.  The identification depends in subtle field marks, like size, facial pattern, nostril shape (yes, nostrils) and so on...  very difficult in fact without prolonged views or specimens.  That's why, the opportunity to study these birds sitting on a nest is priceless.

The Bricks

The nest were discovered close to the town of Boquete (where "The Bricks", a basaltic formation, is a well-known touristic attraction).  Since the publication of extremely good photos (for a swift) in Xenornis, there has been an extensive discussion about the identity of these species... well, about one of them (the other one is simply unmistakeable if seen that well).  Accompanied by a group of fine birders, and guided by one of the discoverers, Craig Bennett, I went with my family to the charming town of Boquete in a "swift" weekend trip.  After arriving saturday's afternoon, a heavy rain stopped us from make a first try at the place (exact location reserved to avoid disturbance to the nesting swifts).  We decided to visit the nests the following day (june 1st).  My wife and Gabrielle spent the day around the central plaza, while I went to look for the bird with the rest of the group.

George Angehr, Darien Montañez, Rosabel Miró, Rosa Montañez and Craig Bennett

After a hard trek, climbing through muddy paths and trying not to fall, Craig showed us the first nesting bird.  After simple instructions, I was able to see two white dots almost glowing in the dark... WOW! a Spot-fronted Swift... the first for Panama and a little known species.  We used a scope to watch and photograph the birds from a safe distance.

Spot-fronted Swift!

This is an awful photo, I know... my digiscoping abilities are exactly none, and we were too far for my 400 mm lens.  I took this photo with my cell phone, the quality is... well, you can see it.  However, I don't care... this is an extremely rare swift... and from now, my favorite swift in the world!  Those facial marks are unique, making this species relatively easy to identify if seen well.  We spent only a couple of minutes in the site and moved on to the next pair, also behind a waterfall.

White-chinned Swift

This time, the subject of our scrutiny was a nesting White-chinned Swift... also a rare and little known species.   We took the same precautions as in the previous nest.  For some time, we think this bird was a Black Swift, but the consensus is toward White-chinned considering rounded head and small nostrils (vs flatter head and larger, oval-shaped nostrils in Black Swift).

White-chinned Swift

What a great experience.  I don't recall the last time I saw two lifers in the same day in Panama... and certainly, these were HUGE lifers.  There were only two previous records of White-chinned Swifts in Panama (two specimens far away the western highlands), and none of the Spot-fronted Swift... so I'm a happy man!  Thanks Craig for the great job you're doing with these discoveries... I'll wait for the publication!

Birding Boquete: Part II

After a very good birding in the morning, the group conformed by me & Gloriela, Osvaldo Quintero and Osvaldo Quintero Jr., Rafael Luck, Milagros Sánchez and Olmedo Miró, decided to have a well deserved late lunch close to Boquete (western Panama highlands), in Alto Lino at an italian restaurant. It was around 3:00 pm and all of us enjoyed a tasty pizza (except Rafael who ordered pasta) in the lovely place. There was a creek in one side of the restaurant where a Torrent Tyrannulet was having lunch too. It perched on rocks in the restaurant's garden right by the window, allowing some very close photos. While listing the birds watched during the morning, everyone was impressed when I mentioned an American Dipper seen from the car in the middle of the Caldera river at Bajo Mono. It seems that nobody else have seen this bird before, so we quickly decided to return to Bajo Mono searching for it. After passing by "The Bricks" (an hexagonal basalt wall of volcanic origin), we stopped close to the "Y" (an intersection in the road of bajo Mono) to inspect the river. After few minutes, a pair of American Dippers appeared close to us. The most amazing thing about these birds is their habits. They swim and dive in the cold waters of the river, looking for aquatic invertebrates. They stayed together for a while, but then one of them flew upriver, giving some high-pitched calls. The other bird stayed for more photos, diving, swimming and even giving a glimpse under the water, as I pictured in my photo. Eventually, it was joined by a pair of Torrent Tyrannulet, about half of its size despite the subjective proportions of my photos (the photo of the tyrannulet was of a very close bird). Unlike the dippers, the tyrannulets never wetted intentionally. They picked up tiny insects from the surface, tolerating the splashing with the water if neccesary. A little farther, a Black Phoebe completed the trio of stream dwellers (a forth one, the Buff-rumped Warbler, is found at a lower elevation). Continuing the day, we went towards the area of Horqueta, making few stops for common birds, including the omnipresent "Tío Chicho" (Rufous-collared Sparrow), but also Green Violetear, Flame-throated & Tennessee Warbler, Mountain Elaenias, Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush and White-naped Brush-Finch among others. Once in Horqueta we decided to walk a little bit the lower trail, but it was getting late so we decided to return when I saw a bulky ground-dove perched in a bush. I clearly saw two distinctive violaceous wing bars just for three seconds... then the bird flew reveling its wide white tail corners: a female Maroon-chested Ground-Dove!!! The combination of wing bars and white in the tail, plus the altitude (1.995 meters above sea level) confirmed the id. We didn't see any bamboo in the site, and the bird flew to a coffee plantation. That was the last bird of the day... and what a bird! Back at Olmedo's house, we planned a trip to Batipa (in the lowlands) for the next morning, but that is another history!

Birding Boquete: Part I

After spending the night at Olmedo Miró's house in Boquete, the group conformed by me, Gloriela, Osvaldo Quintero & Osvaldo Quintero Jr, Rafael Luck, Olmedo Miró and Milagros Sánchez departed to the Volcan Baru National Park searching for the Three-wattled Bellbird. We left the picturesque town of Boquete and headed to Bajo Mono. Despite the fact that Boquete has grown considerably during the last years, there are still some farmers that use traditional methods in their field. We crossed one of them working on his field with a "yunta" (a tool powered by bulls), a rare sight anywhere else in Panama, and I didn't resist to take a photo of him. We took the windy road all the way up to Alto Chiquero, where the ranger station is, and where we parked the cars. The park ranger told us that the Bellbirds are heard daily, but not often close. Following the instructions of Dan Wade, a resident in the Boquete area, we decided to walk the road towards the entrance of Los Quetzales trail, which eventually leads to Cerro Punta, to El Respingo area. This road crosses patches of very good montane humid forest. We scared a pair of Black Guans and found a flock of Spangle-cheeked Tanagers while hearing a bellbird very close. Then, Osvaldo Jr. spotted a big "red" bird perched in a bare tree. Rapidly all got around and through a little window in the canopy all enjoyed the sight of an adult male Three-wattled Bellbird in full exhibition, making its loud and far-carrying call with its beak all wide open. It was amazing, and I managed to capture some photos (Rafael and Osvaldo's photos are better). More impressive was that we accomplished our goal within our first hour in the place! This is the only Bellbird species in Central America, where it inhabits highland wet forest but then move to lower elevations (even sea level) out of the breeding season. The distintive call of the bird is heard everywhere, but to see one is another tale, considering that these are canopy dwellers. Happy with the finding, we decided to walk a little farther on the road, finding both Whitestarts (Collared & Slate-throated), Mountain Elaenia, White-naped Brush-Finch, Black-faced Solitaire and a nesting pair of Tufted Flycatchers that allowed close photos. We reached the upper part of the "Hill of Lamentations" and decided to turn back because we didn't want to complain about anything in the way back. We spotted a Red-tailed Hawk and some Vaux's Swifts around the trout farm, but once again in the forest, the things changed... for good. We found some activity in the same stretch of forest where we found the Bellbird earlier. Some of the birds there were Dark Pewee, Yellow-bellied Siskin, Long-tailed Silky-Flycatcher, Mountain Thrush and a beautiful pair of Golden-browed Chlorophonias. Farther in the road, and closer to the ranger station, we found a big mixed flock with Ruddy Treerunners, Black-cheeked Warblers, Black-throated Green Warbler, Brown-capped Vireos, Silvery-fronted Tapaculo (only heard), Yellow-thighed Finches and a Red-faced Spinetail who responded well to the recordings (being a "life photo" for Rafael). Once again in the station, a gaudy male Flame-colored Tanager was around, plus lots of Blue-and-White Swallows that nest in the roof. The morning was not over, so we decided to descend to the Pipa de Agua trail, looking this time for Quetzals. The first part of the trail is through pastures, and we found White-throated Thrushes and more Flame-colored Tanagers feeding next to the trail. Then, we found a family group of Blue-hooded Euphonias, conformed by several adult and immature males plus a single female. They stayed around for a while, jumping from one perch to another and vocalizing a lot. It was a great show. We kept walking the trail, listen for any signal of quetzals, and crossed a couple who told us that they just saw a female farther in the trail. It was getting hot, but we kept searching all the fruiting trees, finding a Black-thighed Grosbeak having a banquet with the fruits of an unidentified tree. It was not close, but stayed still, allowing us to take some photos of it. Curiously, this was just my second sight of this bird in my life; the first was in the area of Fortuna (central Chiriqui province) many years ago. Just when we were thinking that we would not achieve our aim, a female Resplendant Quetzal flew and perched on a distant tree. I got some poor photos, but at least you can identify the bird. We searched and searched, but were not able to find an adult male in the surroundings, so we headed back to the cars, finding an Hoffman Two-toed Sloth in the way. It was around 3:00 pm, and we were hungry, so we descended to the Boquete area to have a well deserved late lunch after a great morning birding in the highlands.

P.D.: if you want to know what fate had in store for us the evening of that same day, you must read Birding Boquete: Part II.